Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal Lead Wizards Past Anthony Davis, Lakers
April 29, 2021
The Washington Wizards may have lost their eight-game winning streak at the hands of the Spurs on Monday, but they got back on track with a 116-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Russell Westbrook logged his 30th triple-double of the year for the Wizards, who improved to 28-34 to further themselves into contention for a play-in tournament spot.
For the 36-26 Lakers, who are the fifth seed in the Western Conference, Andre Drummond scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Notable Performers
- Russell Westbrook, Wizards: 18 PTS, 18 REB, 14 AST
- Bradley Beal, Wizards: 27 PTS
- Anthony Davis, Lakers: 26 PTS, 5 REB
- Andre Drummond, Lakers: 17 PTS, 11 REB
Wizards Get Consistent Contribution
Bradley Beal starred in the Wizards' streak-snapping loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, dropping 45 points.
He wasn't quite as strong early on Wednesday, but he did log nine points to lead all scorers after the first quarter. Coupled with seven points off of the bench from Ish Smith and five from Russell Westbrook, the Wizards managed to keep themselves in it and even take a three-point lead at one point in the opening frame.
The bench scoring in the first half wasn't just productive, either. It was highlight-worthy:
And then it turned game-changing. Robin Lopez entered the game in the second and went on an 8-0 run that put the Wizards up by two with 3:29 left to play in the second quarter.
The effort helped the Wizards close the half on an 18-8 run and take a six-point lead into the break. Bradley Beal had 15 points through two, good to lead all scorers.
As the Wizards continued to press, Rui Hachimura joined his teammates in posting impressive shots, and his came over Anthony Davis, to boot:
After allowing the Lakers to get within two at the start of the third quarter, they used another late run to pull out to a lead that reached as high as 16 points. Along the way, Westbrook grabbed his 26th consecutive double-double and logged a 600-rebound, 600-assist season.
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfoRussell Westbrook has his 26th consecutive double-double, the 3rd-longest streak by a guard in NBA history. He has 600 rebounds and 600 assists in a season for the 5th time in his career. That matches Oscar Robertson for the most such seasons in NBA history. https://t.co/Qpviiqkcb4
Early into the third, he logged the triple-double, doing so cleanly as he didn't turn the ball over until there was fewer than 11 minutes to play.
Even as the Lakers showed signs of life inside the five-minute mark, the Wizards held on for the victory, getting there in the end thanks to 18 points each from Alex Len and Westbrook on a quieter night for Beal, who posted 27.
Lakers Can't Out-Defend Slow Offense
The Lakers went into the second quarter with a four-point lead, but the distance between themselves and the Wizards could have been greater had Los Angeles been more productive at the line. They shot nine times from the foul line in the first quarter and only hit four of those shots.
Still, their 60 percent shooting from the field was enough for them to pull ahead of Washington after 12 minutes, but it wasn't a runaway.
Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond each scored eight points, and Dennis Schroder logged six after one.
In the second quarter, the Lakers struggled to keep an advance from Washington at bay, and they struggled on their shots outside of the paint yet again. They ended the half shooting a miserable 3-of-13 from three, though they improved their shooting from the line ever so slightly, heading into the break with 62.5 percent shooting at that point.
The misses put the Lakers at a deficit heading into the break, even as Montrezl Harrell logged 12 points to lead the team.
Heading into the final frame, Drummond emerged as the leader for the Lakers with a total of 17 points.
With a quieter than usual offense, the Lakers lacked the defense to back it up and keep things from getting out of hand. They allowed the Wizards, who entered the night averaging 47.1 percent shooting from the field, to end with 52.2 percent shooting, and they got out-rebounded defensively 40-28.
At the end of a road trip, perhaps the Lakers simply ran out of steam. But with LeBron James reportedly nearing a return, there's no reason to worry as the defending champions work to close out the season.
What's Next?
Washington will hit the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Lakers will return home, hosting the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET.